Ratatouille Pastry Stacks

"You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul".- Chef Gusteau Strong, insightful words for the projected conscience of a french sewer rat, eh? Those who know me, know that I am a HUGE disney fan. I belt and enact the classics while working. I quote sassy character quips in adult conversation. I remix the song of Gaston into pop culture medley. I get teary eyed at every pinnacle plot twist and I fall in love (again) with Mister every time he suggests we re-watch Wall-E for the millionth time. He gets me. Again I say... I. LOVE. DISNEY MOVIES. And so it is no surprise that my cooking would be inspired by their animated magic. The following dish was inspired by one of my favorite movies, Ratatouille. A movie that certainly influenced my tendency to cook on the fly, ala- Chopped Masters. The underlying theme that the best cooks can come from surprising beginnings is just so inspiring, but especially for up and coming chefs, food bloggers, and food enthusiasts. Here's hoping that these Ratatouille Stacks inspire your taste buds and your heart to pursue your passion. Be it food, fun, or otherwise.

Notes

Ingredients

Ingredients

1 yellow squash

1 eggplant

1 zucchini

1 white onion

1 Tablespoon thyme

salt/pepper to taste

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 Cup shredded parmesan (optional)

Directions

Ingredients

Thaw the puff pastry while preparing the filling. It should still be cold and slightly stiff when you work with it. (Don't worry. If it starts to get mushy, just pop it back into the freezer until you're ready) Thinly slice and halve your Roma tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash. Dice the eggplant. Slice and separate the onion into thin rings. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a medium skillet. Tossing in the garlic cloves to season. Once the garlic is aromatic, add the tomatoes, eggplant, and onion. Cover and simmer on medium until the eggplant is soft. Add the zucchini and yellow squash to the pan and season with the thyme, and salt/pepper to taste. Cover and simmer again for approximately 5 more minutes. Line and spray a 9x13 pan or cookie sheet. Cut the puff pastry (1 sheet) into sixths. Stack the filling into two tiers intermixing the three puff pastry pieces. Cook on 400F for approximately 10 minutes. Let cool and serve. http://www.eclecticthoughtcatalog.com/foodie/ratatouille-inspired-pastry...